Relocating out of DFW? Sell the house on your moving schedule

Decide which part gets to be easy

Moving and selling at the same time is the hard part, so pick which one runs on a fixed date. The sheet shows what each choice costs.

Path	Where you are at closing	What it costs you	When it usually wins
Cash	Wherever you like; you pick the date	The lowest price of the three	The start date is weeks away, or you don’t want two house payments
Cash with a leaseback	Still in the house, up to 30 days after closing	The lowest price of the three, plus any rent the written leaseback sets	You need the money from this house to buy the next one
List	Already gone; we show it empty	Payments, taxes and insurance until it sells, plus commission	The house shows well and you can carry it for a few months
Fix-then-list with us	Already gone; we manage the work and list it	Nothing up front; repairs are repaid at closing	It needs work to bring the list price and you won’t be here to manage it

What happens after you move

1. Insurance. Tell your agent when the house goes empty. The Texas Department of Insurance says most companies stop coverage if a house is vacant for 60 days or more (TDI).
2. Signing. You don’t have to fly back. Many title companies can send the closing papers by mail or close you by remote online notary; ask yours which it allows.
3. Keys, utilities and the lockbox. Leave the utilities on until closing so the house can be shown, inspected and appraised.
4. Taxes. The TREC resale contract prorates the current year’s property taxes through the closing date, so the tax line appears on all three of your numbers.

Buying in DFW too?

If you’re moving across the Metroplex instead of out of it, say so on the form. Selling one house and buying the next at the same time is mostly a calendar problem. We lay the dates out next to the numbers, and the leaseback lets you close the sale first and move once.

Questions people ask

How fast can you close if my start date is close?

About 10 days once title is clear. You pick the date, and it can be later if the movers need it to be.

Will I owe tax on the sale?

Ask a CPA. If you owned and lived in the house as your main home for two of the last five years, you can generally exclude up to $250,000 of gain, or $500,000 for a married couple filing jointly. If you’re moving for a new job before you hit two years, a reduced exclusion may still apply. The standard test is a new job at least 50 miles farther from the house than your old one (IRS Publication 523).

Should I rent it out instead of selling?

Maybe. Run the numbers first, because once it stops being your homestead, the homestead exemption and its 10% cap on yearly appraisal increases both end the next Jan. 1, so your tax bill goes up. What 2% a year does to a rental shows the math for six DFW cities.

My employer offers a relocation package. Can you still help?

Yes. Tell us what your package covers, such as closing costs or a buyout offer, and the sheet will line it up against our numbers.